Story: Florence, Lady Cranwell. Chapter 23.

by Jackie J

Jonathan had been in his rooms gathering some belongings to take when he left Cranwell. It disturbed him that there was not a trace of Florence anywhere to be found but it was years since she left.

Jonathan having heard chatter from down in the manor and the sound of a dinner gong brought him from his thoughts down the stairway and into the parlour. His mother, maid Cathy was in attendance serving drinks to her Mistress and a guest. Sharista stood and with a contrived meekness offered a bobbed curtsy and her hand forward to the approaching Jonathan.

“Lord Cranwell, your servant Miss Sharista Matrina.”

“I understand Miss Summerville made you are aware of your mother's wish to reverse roles with her and to be the maid at Cranwell, some years ago now and what an accomplished maid she truly is. The level of devotion to her Mistress is remarkable and to be admired, don’t you agree Lord Cranwell?”

Jonathan found himself transfixed somewhat captivated by this woman, her silky tone, her confident matter of fact manner. Dressed modestly she oozed a presence not something he would have expected from one with religious affiliation.

Sharista hid her satisfaction noting Jonathan’s obvious fascination with her.

“Well, Lord Cranwell, do you not agree what a good maid your mother now is having turned her back on pride and privilege?”  

Jonathan held by Sharista’s gaze and sparkling green eyes stuttered his reply.

“Erm, erm well yes, yes a surprise of course Miss Matrina to see my mother the maid of her maid when I returned to Cranwell but it is her wish, which I accept having heard it from her own lips. Perhaps we will have time to discuss how this came about?”

Sharista’s smile could not be retained at the awkwardness being shown by Lord Cranwell.

“Yes, we will Lord Cranwell discuss it we must, pride is the devil within us all, are you a proud man Lord Cranwell?”

Sharista over the years had obtained developed and practised skills in the control of males, she had made a good living from those skills and she would soon have Jonathan under her spell.

Jonathan hesitated in his response knowing how the renunciation of pride had delivered his mother into the hands of this beguiling woman.

“No, I cannot say I am Miss Matrina, no more than any other man.”

Dinner was served by Maid Cathy and even Lord Cranwell himself, engrossed in conversation with Sharista, paid the efficient maid little attention. Sharista was well informed about Lord Cranwell from Winifred in the cellars of 27 Grafton Street, from his mother and of course from Florence there was little she did not know about his public and private life. During her manipulation of their conversation, using all her skills and armed with her knowledge, she peeled back Jonathan’s personality like a ripe apple delving to its very core. Uncomfortable it was but Jonathan felt strangely unburdened perhaps not fully conscious of what he had divulged.

Janet had been given her instructions by Sharista before the meal and had sat quietly throughout dinner. Following dinner Sharista asked Janet that Jonathan and she be left in privacy to conclude their discussions.

With the door closed Sharista smiled.

“So, Jonathan it is good that you have confessed such things to me and here we can speak freely rather than sheltered whisperings at table. You know you can trust me like your mother before you don’t you, Other’s have found it helpful to address me has Miss rather than by name would you like to do that Jonathan?

Jonathan was mesmerised by this woman and her hypnotic soft tone who seemed so understanding of his inner conflicts and responded.

“Yes Miss.”

“So, Mary, this girl, the hold she had on you, before you broke away from her and met Florence was it her idea that you wore her clothes”

Jonathan already conditioned to be open and speak freely by this woman with her easy way answered

“Yes Miss, at first just her nightdresses she said it would be fun but then...”

Sharista leaned forward and spoke in a sympathetic tone.

“Do continue Jonathan you know you want too.”

Jonathan drew breath tears not far from his eyes.

“But then, then she bought me dresses, underwear, shoes a wig and bonnet made me go riding with her in her carriage, she was controlling me turning me into, into a girl.”

“But you liked that Jonathan didn’t you being a girl wearing those lovely dresses, yes I can see that in your eyes now and were you a naughty girl, a very naughty girl with Mary.” 

“Yes, yes I was very naughty.”

Jonathan started to sob and a comforting arm of Sharista wound around him like a tentacle.

“There, there you, poor boy, and yet for all this you tried to save her, half way around the world finding her mind turned to madness, destitute and immoral you found her sanctuary.”

Through his sobs he spoke.

“Yes, yes like I told you at dinner she did not deserve that I must find out what happened to her the answer could be at Stoneleigh a manor not far from here, she spoke of it, repeated its name.

Sharista hugged her quivering Lord anxious to know how much he knew of her lair.

“Stoneleigh and what do you know of this place “

Jonathan sniffled held in the arms of Sharista.

“Only it is a high-class brothel run by someone by the name of Black cat?”

Sharista feigned a look of surprise that he knew that name, her name.

“So are you planning to visit to find out more, I understand that Stoneleigh is very reclusive difficult to obtain entry.”

Jonathan looked at Sharista desperation in his eyes.

“I will find a way I must.”

Sharista stroked through Jonathans hair and smiled.

“You have been brave to tell me what you have and I will help you. It is right that you should go it will help you to be free of the hold this Mary had on you, the thoughts of femininity that still infest your mind of being made to wear those lovely dresses. I have connections I could make arrangements to get you inside Stoneleigh tomorrow, there may be some conditions to get you inside but we can cover those before we leave tomorrow, you would like me to help you, wouldn’t you?”

Jonathan nodded Sharista had built his trust he had bared his soul to her and what she said seemed to make sense. Perhaps understanding what happened to Mary Downton would shake off those suppressed desires that had obviously lingered within his subconscious and all thoughts of wearing female attire would be gone forever. How stupid and naive could he be?  

“Yes, tomorrow thank you, I will be ready, thank you for everything Miss I feel strangely cleansed from our meeting.”

Sharista stood confident that all the loose ends would soon be knotted together never to be untied.

“Until tomorrow then it was nice to meet with you Lord Cranwell.”

Sharista chuckled all the way back to Stoneleigh having had it reaffirmed just how stupid men can be.

The following day Janet, at the instruction of Sharista, had taken her maid out of the manor to the local market for supplies and Jonathan was alone at Cranwell when Sharista’s carriage arrived.

The coachman wheeled in a large trunk following behind Sharista and set it down in the hallway before returning to his carriage.

Jonathan greeted Sharista.

“Good morning Miss and what do you have here in the trunk?”

Sharista just smiled without reply and they entered the parlour together. Having taken seats in the parlour Jonathan looked at Sharista with a look of incredulity on his face listening to her detail the conditions for him to gain entry to Stoneleigh. Sharista using all her wiles to convince him it was what he must do to get into Stoneleigh a disguise of sorts.

“But I can’t I just can’t it goes against everything we discussed yesterday please I can’t.”

Sharista was not in the mood for back tracking and it was a hint of a cleverly disguised veiled threat that brought Jonathan around along with Sharista’s insistence that she had mentioned that there would be certain conditions to be met the previous day to which Jonathan had acknowledged.  

“Don’t worry I will help you Jonathan now come with me the bathroom first you will need to credible for this to work.”

An hour later Jonathan threaded himself into the underwear removed from the trunk, the applied creams dispelling the itch and reddening of his shaven skin. Jonathan sighed feeling the laces of his corset tighten. The large mirror on the wall offered back his reflection his ribbon and lace trimmed bloomers disappearing under his cascading petticoats. The bodice of his dress tugged tight with the buttons fastened and a short jacket completed his attire.

Sharista was sharp with her instructions and with a weakening feeling of femininity Jonathan lowered his head for Sharista to affix his wig and bonnet. The unfamiliar feeling of sitting atop his bulbous underwear and skirts brought back memories of being dressed by Mary whilst Sharista laced his short-heeled boots.

Stood to his feet he was not over tall for a girl at five seven and his rouged face framed by his long hair and bonnet displayed femininity.

Sharista stood back and smiled then added his adorning jewellery, a pretty broach, necklace and matching earrings.

“There Jonathan you look lovely, pretty even in that lovely dress here take your purse and let us be on our way.” 

Jonathan had forgotten the restrictive nature of female attire and was becoming aroused by the rustle and contrasting looseness of his petticoats about him. Helped into the carriage, a crack of a whip and they were on their way. Whilst Sharista insisted that the perfume was necessary the scent of femininity that swathed him only increased his anxiety.

Sharista smiled at her frill bedecked passenger sat opposite looking at her shyly beneath his bonnet clutching his purse on his lap.

“We need a name for you don’t we dear what shall it be, did Mary have a name for her girlfriend?”

Jonathan blushed which was exaggerated by the rouge on his cheeks his thoughts consumed now of his time with Mary. She did have a name for him which he shared in a low whisper.

“Janette, she called me Janette Miss.”

The carriage rattling along Jonathan looked at Sharista and spoke in no more than a whimper.

“Miss please I am not sure I can do this, what if I am discovered.”

Sharista smirked she had Lord Cranwell helpless now, prettied up, bound in corset, underwear and skirts just like she had planned.

“Well Janette I suggest that you ensure you are not discovered and my first advice would be not to speak like that a much softer voice will help I am sure and when you walk short steps not strides your petticoats and dress will help you with that as I am sure you already know.”

Janette sat silent for the remainder of the journey fidgeting with his purse and smoothing down his skirts, why had he agreed to this, why did he have to be dressed like a girl by this controlling woman, why was she doing all this for him and what would he find behind the high walls of Stoneleigh?

With the gates of Stoneleigh approaching he was about to find out.

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